Read on Twitter
So, as y& #39;all might know (if you are paying attention to anything I& #39;ve put out in the world in the last week lol) @slmdances is sharing our #BodyBusinessStories as a part of our #SLMDBodyBiz10K campaign.
Each week, we are releasing a new episode of #WeMakinIt @kadie91893519 who interviews each of our Creative Partners about their budgets & bank accounts & how they are #makingitwork as an artist in NYC.
The conversations are based on #SLMDances 2015 production #BodyBusiness where we asked: How can dance artists be paid a living wage for meaningful work? How can we transform places of lack in our lives to places of abundance?
They are also based on my economic profile, where I spill all the tea about how it is that I have made a life as an artist when there are no extra coins hiding in me or peoples pockets: https://www.sydnielmosley.com/economicprofile ">https://www.sydnielmosley.com/economicp...
I think it& #39;s important that we have these transparent conversations tho... it shouldn& #39;t be a mystery about what we have and what we need to do our work. Especially for young artists who are just starting to make their way.
So each week, as I& #39;m listening to #WeMakinIt I& #39;ll be live tweeting along to open up the door for this continued dialogue. This week& #39;s episode is with Jessica Lee who& #39;s been @slmdances for 3 years: https://shows.pippa.io/we-makin-it/episodes/bodybusiness-stories-part-2-with-jessica-lee-of-slm-dances">https://shows.pippa.io/we-makin-... #slmdbodybiz10k
First topic at hand, student loan debt: "How do you NOW pay for the thing that you did?... The reality is much clearer than before [ I went to college]."
That comment from Jessica reminds me of this hilarious (but true) image by our collaborator Damel Dieng illustrating us dancers chained to student loan debt. #bodybusiness
"I definitely have interest and it is definitely adding up." Whoo chile! #slmdbodybiz10k
Jessica: "My main source of income is teaching kids and I do a lot of arts administration. That& #39;s how I pay my rent and pay my bills." #slmdbodybiz10k
@kadie91893519 is getting into the nitty gritty -- Monthly Expenses: Rent $800 (incl. utilities & wifi) + $127 for @mta metrocard + Food $200 + Phone on Family Plan + $50 emergency + $10 for entertainment #slmdbodybiz10k
and income: 50% from teaching, 40% admin from @KwanzaaKid (hey #supersquad!) and 10% from performance & other gigs. #slmdbodybiz10K
Important Q from @Kadie91893519: Given that you have $30k in student loan debt and you only earn 10% of your income as an artist, *What is that conversation in your head like today?* #slmdbodybiz10k
Jessica: "How can I streamline what I do so I can start to be more specialized... to make more money?... When I 1st came to NYC I was running around...and spreading myself thin... In the past couple of years, I& #39;ve been able to consolidate."
"I& #39;m at a place where I love all the things I& #39;m doing and I can do them well. So how can I continue to advance myself...?"
I love the #strategy they are talking: Take on jobs that build on existing skill sets, instead of continuously taking jobs that require you to invest in new skill building. @candancecreates is actually a master this.
i also love how @Kadie91893519 is talking about #opportunitycost and what resources are necessary upfront to invest in new skills (i.e. yoga or pilates certifications etc.)
Next big Q from @Kadie91893519: What privileges have made access to resources possible? Jessica: "I come from a middle class family and I am white... That& #39;s major." #slmdbodybiz10k
"I have family nearby. If I want a home cooked meal, I can go home. That is a resource just as valuable as money."
"In terms of access to systems, my name is Jessica Lee. I am a white woman. There aren& #39;t that many barriers for me in the dance world in NYC. I graduated from [college]. I had an internship... where I could live at home... I was at @BAXarts & from there I had a foot in the door"
"The identity I have, where I went to school @Middlebury... the #whiteprivilege I have brings networks & connections... that name it helps a lot."
"Through @browngirldance1 @Middlebury, I met Paloma McGregor ( @AngelasPulse) and then Paloma saw me as someone in both dance & environmental studies world because there was overlap in our artistic work"
"My connections in NYC have been directly related to Paloma."
@kadie91893519 shifts the conversation with some real tea -- the more money your family had to invest in your training, the better your access to pre-prof training that is necessary in the #dancefield >>> this is the http://movenyc.nyc"> http://movenyc.nyc mission
Kadie: "people don& #39;t talk enough about this because this is how you enter the conversation [in dance]" #slmdbodybiz10k
Jessica: "If there are barriers, I can work around them." Kadie: "That is such a dancer thing... there are literally hurdles and we just jete& #39; over them..."
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😅" title="Lächelndes Gesicht mit offenem Mund und Angstschweiß" aria-label="Emoji: Lächelndes Gesicht mit offenem Mund und Angstschweiß"> #facts Our gift & our curse.
Last Big Q from @Kadie91893519: What would you do if you couldn& #39;t bring in 90% of income for one month? #slmdbodybiz10k
Jessica: "I am already a part of a really strong networking community... I have a lot of friends here. I could go and sleep on Joan& #39;s couch. I don& #39;t feel alone. It& #39;s hard to imagine me getting to that place."
"All the people that I work with are the kind of people who would say & #39;here& #39;s a little extra& #39; or & #39;I can& #39;t give it to you today, but I can tomorrow& #39;... I am a part of a community that would carry me through." #slmdbodybiz10k
Kadie: "The way the dance field works in NYC, community is how we are making it... All of these little things start to add up to big things, in a field where your practice is only paying part of your income... that is the whole purpose of this conversation."
Kadie: "This is where your chosen families come in... take stock of the relationships you have... acknowledge your privileges and... barriers." #slmdbodybiz10k
I am so grateful for this conversation between Kadie and Jessica because they get at the bottom line: community! It reminds me of when I 1st came back to NYC after grad school & asked folks point blank: How do you make your money? How do you make it work?
Time and time again, people named resources that weren& #39;t necessarily coins, but rather people. So glad to lift up the most important resource of all, people, and how we invest in each other. #slmdbodybiz10k
I& #39;ll be back next week to live tweet the next episode. In the meantime, head to https://shows.pippa.io/we-makin-it/episodes/bodybusiness-stories-part-2-with-jessica-lee-of-slm-dances">https://shows.pippa.io/we-makin-... to listen to the episodes with Jessica and Brittany Grier (released 10/22) - a 5 generations BK native whose family owns a home. #slmdbodybiz10k
and last but not least, donate to @slmdances to support our creative work: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/sydnie-l-mosley-dances/campaigns/3094">https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/sydnie-l-... #slmdbodybiz10k
